The Top 10 College Football Freshmen Performances from Week 3

Getting a good performance from a freshman can be a huge boost for a football team, and there were quite a few freshman from the 2012 recruiting class that impressed in this past week of college football.

Not only does a big game from a freshman help the team on the field, but it can also be a huge plus for recruiting. It goes a long ways towards showing potential recruits that a program can find ways to get them on the field even as freshman, and that if you're talented enough you will be utilized.

You may even make it on a list like this.

Here are the best performances put up by the 2012 recruiting class this past week:

7. T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama

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13 Carries, 55 Yards, 1 TD. 1 Rec, 18 Yards.

In his freshman year with the Crimson Tide, Yeldon has already shown glimpses of being the next great Alabama running back. He runs with a great combination of speed, aggressiveness and strength, and he can even be a factor out of the backfield.

He played a big role in Alabama's win over Arkansas, picking up double-digit carries and another touchdown—his second in three weeks.

2. Rushel Shell, RB, Pittsburgh:

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23 Carries, 157 Yards. 2 Rec. 15 Yards.

Pittsburgh rushed for 254 yards in their win against Virginia Tech, and Shell account for most of those. He absolutely carried the load for the Panthers offense as he grinded out a 6.8 yards per carry average.

To top it off, he added two catches for 15 yards to complete a monster performance by any standards, let alone for a Freshman.

1. Duke Johnson, RB, Miami.

One look at Johnson's stat line and it's quite obvious why he takes home this week's No. 1 spot.

The freshman looked like a complete back on his way to three touchdowns. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry and 19 yards per catch, and ran a kick back, accounting for 28 of Miami's 38 points in their 38-10 win over Bethune-Cookman.